Onion-Zucchini Cakes (Alkaline, GF, Vegan)

shown topped with hummus and avocado, real salt & fresh ground pepper

Makes 4-5, 4"cakes

1/4 cup millet, ground (I took the millet seed and put them in a coffee grinder, made it into a flour, you could also use cornmeal instead)
2 TBS GF Flour (I had some Pure Pantry GF flour I was almost out of, and wanted to use. Can sub wheat or spelt flour in place)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 TBS flax seed, then grind
2 TBS nondairy milk
1 TBS hummus of choice, or another 1/2 TBS milk
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 medium carrot, grated
1/2 sweet or yellow onion, diced small

In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients, then add in nondairy milk. Mix together, it will be slightly dry, the real moisture will come from adding the veggies.
Now you will want to heat up your skillet (med-hi) so it will be primed and ready when the batter is finished.
Add the zucchini, carrot and onion to the bowl and mix together. You may have better mixing luck, but I ended up just working it in with my fingers slightly.
Put some oil down in the skillet to prevent sticking, or some nonstick spray. Scoop out batter, about 1/3 cup worth, and flatten into a cake/patty on the heated skillet. Brown on one side, then flip and brown on the other. They won't cook all the way through, just the outsides will be slightly crisp.
Serve immediately (they start to get mushy after a bit from the liquids in the vegetables).

Ideas for toppings:
guacomole
avocado
chopped tomato
salsa
hummus
pesto
hot sauce
little bit of olive oil w/salt and pepper

Dreamcicle Sports Drink (GF, Raw, Vegan)

This is a refreshing, lightly dreamcicle flavored drink. But it doesn't taste like it's so lightly flavored that it's missing something. It's a sports drink because coconut water is much better at replenishing than gatorade, powerade, or any of those other type of drinks, not to mention the lack of sugars in this. Agave is the sweetener which is low glycemic, so no blood sugar spike here, which is what you want. Great for anyone doing a lot of sweating! And if you aren't, it just tastes good and is good for you, so, nothing but beneficial!

Makes 2 cups

16 oz coconut water
1/2 TBS Orange Juice
1/4 tsp sea salt or real salt (more minerals!!)
2 tsp to 1 TBS agave (to taste)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Almond Vanilla Macaroon Granola (GF, **Raw, Vegan)

I love granola, always have, but it seems like it's something that USED to be good for you, but is no longer. They add all sorts of sugar into them, and there is almost always wheat. One of my favorites is a vanilla almond macaroon granola, so, I thought I would make a healthier version of it.
I'm going to preface this recipe by saying, there are several different kinds of sweeteners in this, just to give it a more authentic taste with some depth. The only sweetener that isn't low glycemic though, is the honey. For those of you who don't know, brown rice syrup is sweet, but isn't much more subtle than agave or honey, it has more of a caramel taste to it. And stevia, that is really sweet, that's why it's only a few drops. If you don't have all of those sweeteners, you can go with just agave or just honey and put in 1/3 cup.

Makes about 5 cups

1 c shredded unsweetened coconut
1 c rolled oats
1 c quinoa flakes (you can use more oats if you would like)
1/4 c ground buckwheat groats or buckwheat flour
1/4 c ground flaxseed
2 TBS flaxseed
2/3 c chopped almonds (I did 1/3 chopped fine, 1/3 rough chopped)
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS agave nectar
2 TBS honey
2 TBS brown rice syrup
8 drops vanilla stevia
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 mashed banana
1/4 c coconut oil
1/4 c coconut butter

Preheat the oven to 325F

Combine ingredients down to (and including) the salt, in a large bowl and mix.

Next in a cereal size bowl, combine the extracts and sweeteners (agave, honey, brown rice syrup and stevia) with the oil and mashed banana. If your banana is somewhat firm still, you may have to break out the beaters and beat until it is smooth. Otherwise, you can do it with a fork. Now pour it into the big bowl of dry ingredients.

Last, mix in the 1/4 cup coconut butter. If you don't have coconut butter, you can use almond butter, although it will give you a different taste. It is ALMOND Vanilla Macaroon Granola though, so it will work just lovely!

Once its mixed line a cookie sheet with foil and pour granola onto it. Make sure to get it evenly spread all over the pan. If your pan is large, you can use one, if it's small you will have to use two (otherwise the bottom and top will get toasty while the middle won't, and it will take longer to cook).

Cook for 20-25 min, or until browned slightly. Stir or flip every 5-7 min to cook evenly.
**If you want to make this raw, you can just dehydrate it instead of cooking it. It should take about 12 hours to dehydrate at 118F.

Buckwheat Graham Crackers (GF, Vegan)

Seriously great graham crackers, if you like graham crackers. When I was little I used to have graham crackers with all sorts of things, like; peanut butter, frosting or apple sauce. I wouldn't eat it with the same kind of frosting on it today, but I still love them with any sort of smooth topping like that. These ones I made though to use for a graham cracker crust for a pie. Figured if I was going to make a pie, may as well make all of it from ingredients I like, right?

I edited this recipe from Nativas buckwheat graham cracker recipe.

36, 4 inch crackers

1/4 c flax seed, ground
1/2 c coconut sugar
3 TBS sucanat or turbinado sugar
*1 TBS maca (Optional, but recommended)
1/4 c coconut oil
*5 drops vanilla stevia, optional
2 cups buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/4 c agave nectar
2 Tbsp vanilla extract

Optional: Sugar mixed with cinnamon for topping

Directions
Mix together all dry ingredients. Then add in the the wet ingredients, and mix together with a mixer until a dough ball is formed. If the dough is too dry you can add a little more almond milk, one tsp at a time. Dough will be kind of sticky.
Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Put half of the chilled dough on a large piece of parchment paper then put a second piece of parchment paper on top, then use a rolling pin to flatten it out – about 1/8 inch thick. Place on a baking sheet, and carefully remove top layer of parchment. Using a butter knife, cut the dough into rectangles then use a fork to make those necessary graham cracker holes. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, if using. After first batch is done, repeat with second dough half or do at the same time and place on a second baking sheet. Bake crackers for 22-25 minutes or until dried out but not burned.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then place crackers on a wire rack to finish cooling and become crisper. They will stay good in an airtight container for about 2 weeks, if they stay around that long.

Banana Green Smoothie (GF, Raw, Vegan)

You can make this with all spinach or all kale, either way is good. Having the 2 just gives the smoothie a little more depth, not to mention it gives you nutrients from two different sources.
This is a great smoothie that I always tell everyone about, but haven't ever actually posted on here. So I figured it was time. My sister-in-law loved it and had my nieces try it, and they loved it, she started calling them "Shrek Smoothies" (brilliant!).

1 large serving

1 banana
1/2 cup spinach
1/2 cup kale
1 cup almond milk
1 Tbs agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 ice cubes
*optional, 1 tsp maca powder

Put all ingredients in blender, except for ice and blend. Once completely blended, add in ice cubes.

Mango Salsa (GF, Raw, Vegan)

This salsa is a hit every time I make it. You can make it more or less spicy depending on how much cayenne or red pepper flakes you add into it.

Shown here with onion flat bread/crackers <--- click for link

Makes about 4 cups

2 mangos, cubed
2 avocados, cubed
1 large anaheim pepper, or 2 small ones, diced small
1 tbs lime juice
1 tsp salt
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped
dash of cayenne or red pepper flakes
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder

Pretty easy, just combine all of the ingredients together and mix well. Add more salt if desired.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread/Muffins (Vegan)

This bread doesn't taste like zucchini bread, in fact, it's hard to tell that there is even zucchini in it. It tastes like a cross between a chocolate chocolate chip muffin, and a brownie. That's just fine by me!! It's nice and moist too, another major positive. We've got zucchini coming out our ears here, so it's nice to make something with zucchini that doesn't TASTE like zucchini.

Makes 12 muffins or 1 large loaf 

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

2 Tbs flaxseed, ground

6 Tbs warm/hot water

8-10 drops vanilla stevia

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup turbinado sugar

1 1/2 cups spelt flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

3 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (about 1 large zucchini)

3/4 cups shredded red apple (about 1 medium apple)

1/2 cup chopped raw walnuts

1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (more or less to taste)

Grind flax seed, and combine in a small bowl with warm/hot water and drops of stevia. Stir and allow to sit for 5-10 min at least. 

In a medium-large bowl grate the zucchini and apple. I just used a peeler and peeled it straight into the bowl, trying to make sure they were somewhat thin, and rotating around evenly. But you can easily use a cheese grater.

Combine dry ingredients (except sugar) in a bowl and mix well, then add to zucchini/apple mixture. Mix the 2 around so that all of the zucchini and apple shreds are coated in the flour. 

Now take the same bowl you had your dry ingredients in, and combine sugar, oil, and vanilla. Then add the flax mixture until fully incorporated. 

Combine wet with the flour coated shreds, then add in chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. If you are allergic to walnuts, you can certainly leave them out, or swap them out for pepitas, they would go well in this too.

Can be made into 12 muffins, or a large bread loaf.

Cook at 350 F for 22-25 min if making muffins (or until a tooth pick comes out clean). Cook for 50 min if making the loaf of bread.

Chana Saag (Alkaline, GF, Vegan)

Every time I go to an Indian buffet for lunch, I find that I adore the chickpea (garbanzo bean) dishes that they have. Indian food usually has a good amount of vegan dishes that are naturally vegan (instead of veganized, if that's a word), which I adore.
For those of you who don't normally eat indian food, it may "look scary" but really tastes great. My mom was a bit freaked out by it, but tried some and then ended up having a whole serving after discovering it tastes quite good! My hint is, get a little bowl and put all of the spices in it measured out, then when it's time to put them all in, you just dump the bowl. ENJOY!!

 
2 Tbs oil of choice (I used olive)
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne
1 tsp. sea salt
4 roma tomatoes (or like size) chopped
1 lb spinach, chopped well
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed several times

1/2 cup almond milk (or other nondairy milk)

Saute onions and garlic in oil until the onion is translucent.  Add all the spices and saute for a minute or two more before adding chopped tomatoes.  Let simmer for about 10 minutes stirring often, then and the rest of the ingredients.  Spinach looks like a lot, but cooks down considerably. Simmer them for at least another 10 minutes then add in the almond milk, mix well and cook for about 2 min.

Stone Fruit Crisp (GF, Vegan)

What in the world is "stone fruit"?! Fruit that has a pit, is basically the answer to that one. I like the mix of them all in this cobbler like crisp. It's not really a cobbler, and isn't really a crisp. So maybe it's a crisler? Or a cobbisp? At any rate, it's good, it's low glycemic (using agave and coconut sugar and gluten free WHOLE grain flours  and the peels still on the fruit, except the mango, make it so.) gluten free, vegan, and all those other great things! Did you know that gluten and especially wheat is a MAJOR contributor to blood sugar spikes and hypoglycemia? It is, so the more wheat-free, gluten-free things you can have, the better.

I made it again, and here is a better pic than the below cell phone pic

We chowed down on it before I remembered to take a pic, so it's a cell phone pic sorry!

Stone Fruit Crisp
Fruit Bottom:
2 pounds any combo of; nectarines, peaches, pluots, apricots, plums and mangos
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tbs + 1 tsp tapioca starch (or arrowroot)


Crisp:
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup gluten-free flour mix  <--- click on the link if you don't already know of a good one or have some ready
1/2 cup coconut sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
big pinch of salt
1 ½ tbs coconut oil
1 banana, mashed

Cook in a 7x11 baking dish or equivalent

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.

Cut the fruit into bite-sized, 1-inch pieces. Place the chopped fruit into the baking dish, drizzle agave nectar over fruit then sprinkle tapioca starch over and toss well, making sure all the starch is dissolved.

To make the topping combine the oats, flour, coconut sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Stir in the oil, and then the banana and mix until everything comes together in a dough-like texture. Spread the crumble evenly over the fruit mixture.

Place the baking dish in the oven, middle rack, and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the topping has browned slightly and the tops are hardened.

Summer Kale Salad (Alkaline, GF, Raw, Vegan)

I haven't had many truly alkaline dishes posted on here lately, so here is a great one!  There are tons of kale salads around, and basically you can add whatever types of vegetables you want over the top, I think these go well though. The dressing is an awesome pair with kale, so even if you don't love the combo of these veggies, try the dressing over the kale. 

The salad before all of the the ingredients being tossed

The salad tossed

Salad is served!

Serves 4-6

Summer Kale Salad

1 bunch of kale (about 4-6 cups)

1 cup finely chopped sweet onion

2 small carrots, chopped or julienne sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 English cucumber (2 cups chopped halves)

1 avocado, chopped or cubed

1 & 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes

¼ cup cranberries or other dried berry (exclude to make 100% alkaline)

¼ cup raw pepitas

fresh or dried herbs, personal preference (basil, cilantro and oregano go great!)

Dressing:

1/4 cup Tahini

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

1/4 cup liquid aminos

1 tbsp agave nectar (sub with 6 drops of stevia to be 100% alkaline)

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp real salt + black pepper, or to taste 

2 tbsp flaxseed

Blend all ingredients for dressing in a high powered blender. Dressing will thicken up in a few min, from the flax (intentionally). So after you blend it, if it seems thick already, you may want to add another tbs of water.

Rinse kale and tear into salad sized pieces and put into a large bowl. Marinate the kale in about half of the dressing, and make sure it gets all over the kale. Allow to sit in the fridge for at least 30 min. If you don't have time to let it marinade, before you put the dressing on, drizzle lemon juice over the kale, making sure that it's totally coated, wait for 5 min, then toss with dressing to serve after salad ingredients have been added.

When ready to serve, add salad ingredients over the top. Toss optional.

Lemon Sugar Cookies (vegan)

This is not my typical recipe, but I had a request from a friend to make lemon sugar cookies. So I made them vegan, and switched out stuff to be better versions of themselves if they were already vegan. However, not as quite as healthy as my usual things.  That said... these are soooooo good! I don't even know what to say about them other than, wow, I'm really glad that I was asked to make them. (I had never tried lemon sugar cookies before) Make sure to actually keep enough dough to cook some cookies, rather than just eating the dough!! They expand out while cooking, so make sure to space them well.

yum!!!

cookies rolled out and additional lemon-sugar over the top

The lemon sugar

finished cooking, they expand for sure!

Makes 36 cookies

1/2 cup turbinado sugar (or coconut sugar OR preferred dry sweetener), ground down to a fine powder
1 1/2 turbinado sugar (or preferred {recommended dry} sweetener), ground down to a fine-med powder
2 large lemons zested
1 cup vegan butter, (I used Earth Balance, soy free kind) or coconut oil at room temperature or slightly melted
2 tbs flax seed, ground
6 tbs warm water
2 tsp lemon extract
1 tbs lemon juice (from the freshly zested lemon)
2 3/4 cup whole spelt flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda

First ground down flax in a coffee grinder then put into a little bowl with the 6 tbs of warm, mix and allow to sit for about 5-10 min.

Next make lemon sugar: Grind 1/2 cup sugar in coffee grinder, blender or food processor to make it a powder. Now add 1 teaspoon lemon zest into whatever you blended the sugar in, and grind/blend again. Pulse until lemon zest is fully mixed into sugar. Pour into a little bowl and get rid of any clumps then set aside.

Now mix flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda in a medium bowl. In another bigger bowl, cream butter with the other 1 1/2 cups sugar. Blend in the flax mixture, slowly. Add lemon extract, lemon juice and the rest of the lemon zest. Take the flour mixture and blend in, one cup at a time, making sure it's fully, until all flour is incorporated.

Chill the dough for about an 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Roll the dough into tablespoon sized balls then roll in the lemon sugar. Put the lemon-sugar coated balls onto a greased cookie sheet. Press down with the bottom of a glass or plate until cookie is about 1/3 inch thick. They will expand, so make sure to separate them well. Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes. Let cookie cool on the pan for 5 minutes before taking them off the sheet and putting them on a cooling rack.

Summer-Fruit Quinoa Pilaf (GF, Vegan)

I was just using the fruits that I had in the kitchen and needed to use before they went bad. You can use almost whatever fruit combo you like, quinoa really lends itself to becoming a mixed dish. I've done this with mango, peach, plum & strawberry. I've also done strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, cherry and pretty much whatever in between. Cooking it with some apple juice gives the quinoa a bit sweeter taste, you can easily cook it without.

Serves4-6 (side servings)

1 cup water
1/2 cup apple juice
3/4 cup quinoa
1 cup chopped strawberries
1/2 cup cherries, pitted and chopped
1 peach chopped
1 plum chopped
2 tbs agave nectar (or sweetener of choice, like honey)
1/2 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp real salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
optional 1/4 cup pepitas

Bring the water and apple juice to a boil, then add quinoa and turn heat down to low, cover. Allow to cook for 20 min, remove from heat and allow to sit and cool for 10 min. Fluff quinoa and add it to large bowl with the other ingredients. Can be served warm or cold.

Rice Noodle Salad with Mango (GF, Vegan)

This is a great salad for the summer, it's a chilled salad that is mostly raw. Great way to use a bunch of herbs from your garden as well! I got this recipe from one that I found in Vegetarian Times Magazine in 2010 in the Farmers' Market Cookbook edition and made it to be my style. They come out with one annually that is in season eating great recipes for the summer. I just got their latest one, it's great!

Makes 6 servings

Dressing:
1/3 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup lime juice (or lemon)
1/4 cup bragg liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
1 TBS rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Salad:
6 oz dry rice-stick noodles
1 large carrot, julienned
1 1/2 cup sliced lettuce mix (or spinach if you prefer)
1/4 cup basil leaves, sliced
1/4 cup mint leaves, sliced
1/4 cup italian parsley leaves, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, sliced
1 medium cucumber, halved and sliced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 large ripe mango, cut into small cubes
1/3 cup raw pepitas (optional)

To make the dressing, combine all dressing ingredients and mix well

To make the salad: Soak the noodles in hot water for 15 min, then drain. Cook the noodles in boiling water for 5 min, then drain into a colander and rinse with cold water. Put into large bowl, and cut noodles with knife so break them up. Add in the rest of the salad ingredients and mix well. Top with 3/4 of the dressing. The rest of the dressing you can drizzle over the top when serving.

White Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF, Vegan)

These cookies are great! Very light and fluffy, no oil in them either! I got my vegan white chocolate chips from a place online, (here) but maybe you are lucky enough to have a store near you that sells them. If not, there are also some good recipes online of how to make your own!
homemade white chocolate recipe

Makes 15 cookies

1 cup GF flour mix* (or if you don't want them to be gluten-free, use spelt flour)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 tsp real salt
1/3 cup vegan white chocolate chips
1-2 tbs vegan chocolate chips (optional)
4 tbs agave nectar
2 tbs water
6 drops vanilla stevia
2 tbs almond butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/3 cup mashed banana (somewhere in between the two amounts)
2 tbs crushed almonds

*Baking GF Flour mix (thank you Sketch-free Vegan Blog for this great mix):
2 cups brown rice flour
2 cups oat flour - make sure the oats are pure (gluten-free)
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup ground flax meal (don't skip out on the flax meal it acts as a binding agent)


Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all dry ingredients up to the salt, mix in medium sized bowl. In another bowl mix together agave, almond butter, vanilla. Then add in the mashed banana, water, until fully mixed. Now add in the chips and nuts. Now combine with dry ingredients. If too dry add another tbs water. Scoop onto cookie sheet and cook for 11 minutes. Allow to sit on the cookie sheet for 1-2 min after out of the oven, then put onto cooking rack or plate.

Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream Frosting (Vegan)

One of my dad's favorite cakes is carrot cake. So for Father's Day I made one for him that would be a healthier vegan version (so I could eat it too, because I love carrot cake!) The cake and frosting recipes I got from different sites and edited them. I like things like this to be low glycemic, so I don't get a major sugar high from it.

Cake
3 cups spelt flour
2 cups coconut sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tbsp baking soda
1 Tbsp cinnamon
3/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup banana, mashed
4 Tbsp flaxseed, ground
12 Tbsp warm water
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
12 drops vanilla stevia
1 1/2 cups shelled walnuts, chopped (plus more for topping)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut
2 cups of finely grated carrots
1 cup of drained crushed pineapple

Coconut Cream Frosting
1 cup coconut milk (canned)
1 cup agave nectar
pinch real salt
5 teaspoons arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon water (or coconut water)
1 1/4 cup coconut oil

Cake Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9 inch cake pans. Mix ground flax with warm water and allow to sit for 5 min. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. If coconut oil is solid, submerge jar into hot water for 5-10 min to melt it. Add melted oil, flax mixture, vanilla and stevia. Beat well. Mix in chopped walnuts, coconut, carrots and pineapple. Pour batter into pans equally. Bake for 40-45 minutes (shift positions of cakes front-to-back if necessary about halfway through), or a little longer, until edges have pulled away from sides and a toothpick or fork inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on rack. Once cakes have cooled, and the frosting has set up, frost. Sprinkle top with chopped walnuts or arrange walnut halves in a crown around the top.


Frosting Instructions
In a medium saucepan, heat coconut milk, agave and salt, simmer for 10 minutes
In a little bowl, combine arrowroot and water to form a smooth paste. Pour arrowroot mixture into saucepan. Mix them really well together with a fork or whisk, then bring to a boil, for a min or 2 until shiny. Remove pot from heat and very slowly blend in coconut oil with a hand blender, it splatters easily.
Allow pot to cool for 10 minutes
Put the pot in the fridge for 45-120 minutes, until frosting gets solid and turns white throughout.
Remove from fridge and blend again with a hand mixer, until fluffy.

Kale Chips (Alkaline, GF, Raw, Vegan)

Love love love these things! They don't taste like kale, they taste like some sort of other salty snack, awesome sub for potato chips! If you haven't had kale chips before, give them a try for real!

Kale chips with a pestocado sandwich

1 bunch of kale (in the pic I used purple kale, any kale works)
1 1/2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS Bragg liquid aminos (or soy sauce, tamari or nama shoyu)
1/2 tsp Real Salt (or sea salt)
*optional sesame seeds

Rip the kale into 3-4 inch pieces, and put into a large ziplock bag. Put in oil salt and aminos, and make sure kale gets fully coated. Put in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (to overnight) to marinate. Place kale on dehydrator trays and dehydrate for about 4 hours. If you want the sesame seeds included, you can put them in with the marinade, just a few sprinkles, or you can sprinkle them on the kale after it's layed out on the trays.

If you don't have a dehydrator, you can put the kale on a cookie sheet, and bake them in the oven on the oven's lowest setting with the oven door slightly open so that it doesn't just burn them, they are pretty thin. The time will be cut dramatically, but you will have to check and see how crisp the chips are periodically. I'm guessing it would be done in 30 min to an hour, though I haven't done it myself.

Apple Cinnamon Smoothie (GF, Raw, Vegan)

I'm doing a cleanse (yes, again) this week and it is a high liquid one, this was one of today's creations that was post worthy. A tastey smoothie that can be for breakfast or basically whenever. 

smoothie shown with optional goji berries added (thus the color)

Makes about 32 oz, so 2+ servings

3/4 C coconut water

1 1/4 C almond milk

2 apples cored and quartered

1 TBS chia seeds

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 medium banana

1/2 C ice cubes 
10 drops vanilla stevia (OPTIONAL)

1/4 pumpkin pie spice (OPTIONAL) 

4 tablespoons dried goji berries (OPTIONAL)

Place all items in a high powered blender and blend until smooth.

Onion Flat Bread pt 2 (Alkaline, GF, Raw, Vegan)

What can I say, I like onion bread, it goes so well with so many dips and spreads. So I make different versions of it.

a pestocado sandwich using Onion Flat bread pt 2

Makes about 5 cups of batter

2 (large) sweet onions, peeled
1 1/2 C pumpkin seeds, soaked
1/2 C raw sunflower seeds, soaked
1 1/2 tsp Real salt
1-2 cloves garlic
2/3 C flax seed, ground (I use a coffee grinder)
1/4 C chia seed, ground (if you don't have chia, you can use all flax)
2 TBS Bragg Liquid Aminos (optional)
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil


Put onions in a food processor and pulse chop, so there are still small(ish) chunks of onion. Separate from onions, mix pumpkin & sunflower seeds, garlic, salt, oil and Bragg/soy sauce and process until well ground. Now add in the ground flax and chia seeds, blend until smooth. In a large mixing bowl, mix onions with the seed mixture
In a large bowl mix, by hand, onions and the pumpkin flour/chia until well blended.
Spread onto dehydrator trays (make sure to have parchment paper down or use teflex so it doesn't fall through the cracks) and score into whatever size bread you would like. You can spread the batter as thin as you like, knowing that a thinner bread will be more like a cracker and take less time to finish.
Dehydrate for about 5 hours then turn the sheets over and dehydrate for another 12 hours or until dry and somewhat crispy.

Pumpkin Seed Pesto (Alkaline, GF, Raw, Vegan)

This is one of the BEST pesto's I've ever had. It has a buttery flavor to it, I guess it's something about the basil oil and pumpkin seeds. It makes an awesome mix to go with pasta (be it a raw version of pasta or not). It also is fabulous on a Pestocado Sandwich or just with crackers. Either way, it's simple to make and really really good to eat.

yellow squash 'noodles' tossed in  and topped with pumpkin seed pesto with sundried tomatoes and a side of Onion Flat Bread pt 2.

Makes about 3 cups

2/3 C raw pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds without the shell)
2 C packed basil
5 cloves garlic
1 tsp Real Salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 /2 C extra virgin olive oil

I recommend putting the garlic cloves into the food processor first and turn it on until basically all of them have stopped getting spun around by the blade. Then scrape down the sides and put in the basil. Pulse a few times to get a rough chop, then add in the rest of the ingredients. Some people like their pesto runnier than others, so if you like it more runny, feel free to add in more olive oil.

Almond Five-Spice Snaps (Vegan)

A lot like ginger snaps, but a few other spices in the mix and the ginger is much more down played. I believe they would be enjoyed by people who like ginger snaps, as well as those who don't. They make awesome ice cream sandwich ends!

I made a few minor changes to this recipe that I got from "Eat, Drink and Be Vegan". So, thanks Dreena Burton!

Makes 12-15 cookies

1 C spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 C sucanat (or turbinano sugar, or other unrefined sugar)
2 Tbs chopped almonds
1/4 tsp RealSalt
1 1/2 tsp five-spice powder (*What's in five-spice?  Also called chinese 5-spice powder)
1/3 C agave nectar
3/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 C olive oil
1-2 TBS sucanat

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl mix together wet ingredients until well mixed. Add wet mixture to dry, and stir until combined well, but don't over mix. Mixture will be semidry. Put some parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and scoop tablespoon size balls onto it.  After all balls are laid out, press each down slightly and add sprinkle of sugar. Bake for 10 min then remove from the oven and let sit for about 1 min, then transfer to a cooling rack. If you leave the cookies in longer than 10 min, they will get dry.

Yum Truffles (Raw, GF, Vegan)

Such a simple recipe, but really really good! The soaking of the almonds makes it so that the rolls are softer. I make these 2 different ways, one rolled in coconut flakes & the other rolled in carob powder. I never really consumed dates much until noticed that just about every fruit & nut bar at the grocery store used dates in them. I started making these, and now adore using dates.

1 C raw almonds, soaked 24-48 hours
*1/2 C packed, dates, pitted
1 tsp vanilla
2-4 Tbs carob powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
unsweetened coconut flakes OR additional carob powder

Put soaked almonds into a food processor for about 1 minute. Then add dates in about 3 different groupings mixing well between. Now add in vanilla and carob (or cocoa) powder.
If an enjoyable change, add another extract to the mix, just 1 tsp. Ex: Orange extract (orange and chocolate go great together), coconut extract (esp if you roll the balls in coconut), cherry, lemon, mint or almond extract.
Roll into 1-2 in balls and roll in coconut flakes or carob powder.
I keep mine in the fridge, but that's because I like it when they are cold and semi-firm. You can do whatever you'd like.


*I suggest buying dates with the pits in, because they stay soft MUCH longer that way. I know it's a bit of a pain pulling out the pits, but it's turns out to be a better product when you do.

Pestocado Sandwich (Alkaline, GF, Raw, Vegan)

using Onion Flat Bread pt 2, and alfalfa sprouts. Kale chips on the side

using Onion Flat Bread pt 2

Makes 1 sandwich

1/2 roma tomato, sliced
1/2 small or 1/4 large avocado, thinly sliced
1/4 C preferred greens
1-2 Tbs Pesto (Whatever kind you prefer, but it's great w/Pumpkin Seed Pesto or Spinach-Sundried Tomato Pesto)
1/4 C sprouts (I used sunflower in the pic, but often use alfalfa or broccoli)
2 onion flat bread OR onion flat bread pt 2 pieces

Put pesto onto the onion bread pieces, then stack other ingredients on as desired. Top with other onion bread piece and enjoy!!

Onion flat bread/crackers (Alkaline, GF, Raw, Vegan)

These go SOOOO well with hummus! They also make a great raw sandwich. When they are complete they will be hard more like a chip or cracker, but if you make them a little thicker than "paper thin" and use them for sandwiches, you will be pleased. Any wet ingredients get soaked up by the bread, and it holds the moisture in, making the bread soft, but it doesn't fall apart.

great for dipping in hummus

Used in a pestocado sandwich

Makes 3 1/2 to 4 dehydrator trays full

1 zucchini
2 carrots
2 medium sweet onions, medium chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbs raw tahini
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs Bragg Liquid Aminos (or Soy Sauce or Nama Shoyu)
1/2 C water
2/3 C flax meal/ground flax seed
1/3 C flax seed (whole)
1 C raw sunflower seeds, soaked 4-6 hours

In a food processor grind sunflower seeds. Then combine zucchini, carrots, onion and garlic.

Add ingredients up to flax meal and mix. Now add in all the flax. Mix well.

Spread onto a teflex sheet (or I just use parchment paper over my dehydrator trays, it's cheaper) score into sizes & shapes that you want and dehydrate for 14-16 hours.

If you spread it really thin, you will get crackers, make it just a bit ticker and you will get flat bread. If you make flat bread, you may need to flip them over & continue dehydrating.

Quinoa Pudding (GF, Vegan)

I enjoy rice pudding, but it's generally a far cry from vegan, and loaded with sugar. This version isn't, and instead of rice, I used quinoa. So it ends up being somewhat a cross between tapioca & rice pudding, because of the texture.

Makes 5 cups

1 C Quinoa, rinsed
2 1/2 C Vanilla Almond Milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp Almond Butter
3 TBS Agave (or Honey)
*1/2 TBS Agar Agar flakes
1 TBS Vanilla
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon & 1/2 tsp Nutmeg OR 2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
Optional 1/2 C raisins or dried currants

In a medium to large pot, combine rinsed quinoa with almond milk. Bring to boil and then cover & reduce heat to lowest setting and cook for 20 min.

Add in the agave & almond butter, mix well.

Next add in the Agar Agar flakes. Note: Agar Agar flakes will make the mixture become more solid when it has cooled down.

*If you don't have Agar Agar flakes, you can use 2 tablespoons kudzu OR 2 tablespoons arrowroot, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water

Finally add in the vanilla, spices and optional raisins/currants.

If using agar agar, allow to sit for 25-30 min to cool down some and set up.

Stir-Fry with Almond Sauce (Alkaline, GF, Vegan)

Makes 6 servings

2 1/2 Tbs garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground corriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1-2 Tbs olive oil
2 c broccoli florets
1 onion, chopped
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced in half moons
1 large carrot, chopped however you like
1 celery stalk, chopped however you like
1 c bean sprouts, or sprouted lentils (I had sprouted lentils in my fridge)
1 c diced cabbage (I used purple, because that's what I had)
1/3 c coconut milk
1/3 c almond milk
4 Tbs almond butter
1 Tbs Bragg liquid aminos/soy sauce/nama shoyu
2 tsp lemon or lime juice
1 tsp salt
sesame seeds

In small bowl or cup, combine garlic, cumin, coriander & cayenne. In a large pan or wok heat olive oil. Add garlic mixture and stir until fragrant, then add onion. Cook until onion is translucent, then add the other vegetables up to the bean sprouts (don't put in the sprouts yet) and cook for a few minutes. Add milks, almond butter, soy sauce & lemon/lime juice. Stir until sauce is blended well. Cook with the lid on for about 10 min, then add cabbage, sprouts & salt. Cook for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top.

Papaya Pudding (GF, Raw, Vegan)

I like to think of this as digestion pudding. I'm thinking of those Activia commercials now, haha. The combo of papaya, chia seed and coconut water is going to be a happy time for your digestive tract! Not to mention it tastes good!  I like to know reasons that things are good for me, so here is a bit of education on Papaya, Chia Seeds & Coconut Water.

Papaya

Papaya has a high amount of proteolytic enzymes, which is the enzyme that enables the digestion of protein. Many health practitioners today are advising patients to take proteolytic enzymes to help with everything from inflammation and autoimmune conditions to heart disease and plaque. Papaya also contains natural fiber, carotene, vitamin C and essential minerals. Some other benefits include:

-Contains a high amount of potassium and the flesh of papaya is very high in Vitamin A. 

-Helps prevent constipation and also aid in digestion. Papaya contains the protein called papain which is a digestive enzyme that helps in natural digestion process. 

-Juice helps in alleviating infections of the colon by clearing away the infection, pus and mucus. Regular consumption will help in improving the problem.

-The skin of papaya is excellent for treating skin wounds and places that do not heal quickly.

-Low in calories and high in nutritive value hence it is an excellent food for those on a diet.

-Regularly consuming papaya helps to relieve morning sickness and nausea.

-Has anti-inflammatory properties and anti-cancerous properties. The anti-inflammatory properties in papaya will help reduce pain for those suffering from arthritis, edema and osteoporosis.

-Cleans the stomach and studies have shown that papaya alone eaten for 3 to 4 days has a highly beneficial tonic effect upon the stomach and intestines.

Chia Seed

Yeah, I know you are thinking of the silly chia pet, and yep, those are the seeds. But long before they were used to grow green hair on terra cotta animals, they were used as a staple food by the Indians of the south west and Mexico. When it's combined with water, or any liquid, the seeds get a gel like coating on them, so you can use them to make things (in food) stay together, like an egg would. That gel like coating actually makes it so chia seeds can hold 12x's their weight in water, which helps a lot for digestion. It's digested as a protein very easily and is the richest vegetable source for Omega 3 fatty acids, but has no cholesterol (unlike fish). Chia has about three to ten times the oil concentrations of most grains and one and a half to two times the protein concentrations of other grains.

There are many benefits of chia seeds, you may want to look into them.

Coconut Water

It's one of the best drinks to hydrate the body because it's naturally isotonic with the same electrolyte balance we have in our blood. It helps remove toxins from the body, aids in digestion plus has anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties that help it cure diseases. Unlike coconut milk, coconut water has almost no fat in it, and isn't very high in calories (around 45 for one cup).

fresh cut papaya

Makes a bit over 2 cups

Apprx 1 1/2 C Papaya
1/2 to 3/4 C Coconut Water
1/4 C Chia Seeds
12 drops Vanilla Stevia
3 pitted Dates, medjool preferably (dates used as an additional sweetener, if you don't have any, you can use 3 Tbs agave nectar or raw honey instead)
1 Tbs unsweetened coconut
1 tsp maca, optional

Spoon out seeds from the papaya, and then remove flesh from the outer skin. Put all ingredients into a high powered blender and blend until smooth. Allow it to be at least 45 seconds so that the chia seeds will break up a little bit and start making the gel more quickly. Put in the fridge for at least 15 min for it to set and to cool off.  The unsweetened coconut you can put on over the top of the pudding or mix it in, or both!

Luau Salad (GF, Raw, Vegan)

Still going strong on my 100% raw diet, a little less than a week to go.  I'm feeling great, lots of energy and my insides feel good. Not that I was feeling bad at all before, this is just what I have been noticing. I'm thinking it's a combo of the 100% raw cleanse that I'm doing and considerable amounts of structured water I have been drinking.
This is seriously such a great salad, and so colorful too! The dressing is a sweet citrus dressing, almost a creamy vinaigrette. I was so excited to sit down and eat it, and I wasn't the least bit disappointed. I don't think you will be either. ENJOY!!

easiest way to cube mango, cut into a grid & then flip inside out & cut apart from the skin

 

Serves A LOT, maybe 10

1 head Red Leaf Lettuce, rough chopped
1 1/2 C Spinach, rough chopped
1 cucumber, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 stalks celery, diced
5 green onions, thinly sliced
1 mango, cut into cubes
1/3 C Pineapple, chopped
1/3 C macadamia nuts, soaked for 20 min rinsed thoroughly & medium chopped
2 Tbs unsweetened coconut
1 Mandarin Orange, peeled and segemented

Optional Garnish
2 Tbs unsweetened coconut
2 Tbs Sunflower Seeds

Dressing
Juice of 2 Mandarin Oranges/Clementines
1/3 C Olive Oil
1/3 C Raw Agave Nectar
1/3 C Lime Juice
1 Tbs Raw Almond Butter
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 tsp Orange Flavor/Extract (I used Simply Organic's Orange Flavor)
1/2 tsp RealSalt (Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt works also)
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Sesame Seeds
dash of Ground Cardamom


Combine all salad ingredients in large salad bowl and mix. If you are going for presentation, reserve 1/4 of the mango and 1-2 Tbs of the macadamia nuts to place on the top of the salad along with the optional garnish. To make the dressing, just put all ingredients into a small bowl and stir together really well. I also had it in a container with a lid and shook it up to make sure everything was mixed well. You can toss the salad with the dressing, although I have found that it is nice to just have the dressing in a separate container for individuals to add as they please. Plus, it allows the salad to keep longer if it isn't devoured in one sitting.